Sanitary drinking-cup.



SANITARY DRINKING CUP.

APPLICATION man MAY2.1913.

Patented Apr. 3,1917.

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SANITARY DRINKING-CUP.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELINOR C. WALSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Drinking-Cups; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved sanitary drinking cup, and it consists in the constructions herein described and claimed.

An object of myinvention is to provide an improved sanitary metal drinking cup formed throughout with smooth polished surfaces, and entirely free from all crevices, and abrupt angles or joints to afford favorable locations for the lodgment and retention of germs or other foreign substances. The chief requirement of this cup, in its construction, is an absolutely smooth, even surface, both inside and out, having no beads, sharp depressions, angles, or lines, but with full curves where such depressions, angles, or lines usually occur in the ordinary drinking cup, or other vessel. The various handles shown and described must conform to this requirement.

A further object of my invention is to provide an attractive and inexpensive cup, which is light and strong in construction and thoroughly sanitary in use.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which similar reference ysymbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views Y Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary drinking cup illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1f;

Fig. 3 is a central section, showing the cup at a stage in its manufacture before the integral strip for forming the handle has been bent to its final shape;

Fig. l is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section illustrate ing a slightly modified form of handle;

Fig. 6 illustrates a modified construction;

and

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 2, 1913.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Serial No. 765,094.

i tary metal drinkingcup formed throughplane merging smoothly into said side wall,

as shown at 5; the junction between the edges of said handle and the top edge of said cylindrical side wall being rounded at 6 to avoid the formation of a sharp corner or abrupt bend at such point. The lower end of the handle 4: is firmly attached to the cylindrical side wall l of the cup by a -connection 7 which is curved to merge smoothly into the surfaces of said side wall and handle, as shown especially in Figs. 1, 2 and 4L; said connection 7 being advanta geously formed by soldering, casting, or molding, or by a wiped joint. I have shown the handle l provided with an aperture 8 for insuring a strong and positive connection between said handle and the material of the vconnection 7.

Fig. 5 shows a slight modification in which the cup is formed with an integral handle in the manner just described, and the lower end of the handle 9 is spaced from and unattached to the cylindrical side wall 10 ofV the cup.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate an advantageous construction, in which a cup is formed in the Apreviously described manner, and a metal reinforcing disk 11 is brazed or otherwise rigidly attached to the outer face of the fiat cup base l2;l said reinforcing disk having the same diameter as the fiat base and having its peripheral edge 13 inclined or roundedito extendflush with the outer face of the annularrounded edge portion 14: of the cup. A handle 15 is formed integral with the metal reinforcing disk 11 and curved with its upper end 16 spaced from and unattached tothe cylindrical side wall 17 of the cup; a curved filling 18 of solder or other suitable material being securedv at'the junction of said handle'and cup and shaped to merge smoothly into the surfaces of said elements for preventing the formation of a sharp corner or abrupt bend at such point.

In this advantageous construction, the flat base 12 is strongly reinforced by the metal i handle being provided with a free upper en d spacedfrom the top edge of the cup and acting positively to prevent the users hand from coming into contact with said edge of Y the cup.

This bottom plate vcarrying the handle serves not only to sti'en the bottom of the cup where the wear is the greatest, and to provide a plate of suflicient stiffness for a handle, which preferably should not be connected at its upper end with the body of theV cup; but also serves as a weight applied to Y Vthe bottom ofthe cup, and thus serves to iGopies of this patent :nay be obtained for lower the center of gravity of the cup, and to thus render it less liable to be upset, or when tilted will tend to return the cup to the upright position.

By this construction an extremely light metal body may be imparted to the cup, and a stiening plate may be applied to the bottom which serves also to provide a stiif tail piece for the handle.

It will be noted that with this form of construction there is absolutely an unbroken circular outer rim of the cup, and the hand of the user, grasping the handle, will not touch anywhere near the rim of the cup,

From the above. description it will be clear that my invention provides an attractive and inexpensive drinking cup formed throughoutV with smooth polished surfaces, which will be thoroughly sanitary in use.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory constructions, but changes could be made within the spirit and scope of my invention. Y

I claim 1. As a new article of manufacture a sanitary drinking cup having its body portion formed of a single integral piece of metal provided with a fiat bottom and rounded curves connecting said bottom with the side walls,

and with a handle integral with and proj ecting from the said cup, the surfaces of the handle and the body of the cup merging into each other in curved lines, whereby a cup with a smooth surface is formed without crevices or other dirt-receiving cavities.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a sanitary drinking cup having its body portion formed of a single integral piece of-1netal shaped with rounded curves to provide curved side walls terminating in a fiat base, a reinforcing disk of slightly less diameter than said flat base rigidly attached on the outer face of the latter having its peripheral edge inclined to extend Hush with the outer face of said annular rounded edge portion, a curved handle formed integral with said reinforcing disk, and curved connections between said handle and cup merging smoothly into the plane of both, the whole cup being free from any sharp depressions, angles, or corners, adapted to collect dirt, grease, or other adherent matter, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a sanitary drinking cup formed of a single integral piece of thin metal shaped with rounded curves on the side, terminating in a flat bottom, and a reinforcing disk of heavier metal secured to said flat bottom and having its peripheral edge shaped to form a smooth surface with the exterior of Said flat bottom, the said reinforcing disk being provided with a laterally-projecting lug bent to form a curved handle, the upper end of which is spaced apart from the side wall of the cup, and the angle of divergence between the handle and the cup being filled in with nonabsorbent material, and shaped in a rounded curve, the whole cup being free from any sharp depressions, angles, or corners, adapted to collect dirt, grease, or other adherent matter, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ELINOR C. IVALSI-I.

I/Vitnesses:

R. M. PARKER, L. H. WEAVER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. Y 

